HUMIDOR SET UP AND MAINTENANCE
A guide to setting up and maintaining your humidor
Once you have purchased your humidor it is essential to follow a few simple steps to ensure that your humidor is set up correctly before you place your cigars inside. The set-up procedure does not take long and, if followed correctly, your humidor will be ready to accommodate your fine cigars within a few days.
When you buy your humidor you are only too keen to fill it up with your collection of cigars, however, if your humidor is not set-up correctly then there is every chance that you may ruin your cigars.
With any new humidor the Spanish cedar wood interior is generally quite dry and has not been conditioned to reach its ideal balance of temperature and humidity. If you place your cigars inside it will absorb any moisture very quickly, leaving your cigars to dry out. This is far from ideal and to resolve this all humidors should be correctly humidified before their first use.
Setting up your humidor
To set up your humidor follow these steps:
1. Place a shot glass filled with distilled water or our very own humidification solution at the bottom of your humidor.
2. Prepare your humidifier and place inside the humidor
3. Place your calibrated hygrometer inside the humidor
4. Close the lid and store your humidor in a suitable environment
5. Check the humidity daily using the hygrometer. When it reaches the 68%-72% range the humidor environment has been properly stabilised.
We do not recommend that wiping the inside of your humidor with water as this can ruin the wood. Also, some humidors may not reach 68%-72% without the introduction of your cigars. If this is the case, introduce cigars slowly into your humidor over a period of time until your humidor environment has stabilised.
Your Hygrometer
All the hygrometers that we provide have been calibrated but they may require re-calibrating following despatch.
Many cigar smokers believe that a humidor environment of 70% humidity is the perfect scenario and if their hygrometer fails to reach this then it is broken.. This is not the case but you should aim for a humidity range of between 66% and 76%. Some smokers like their cigars quite moist while others prefer them to be a little drier, this is all down to preference and you will soon learn how your prefer to maintain your cigars.
The hygrometer needs room to breathe and is therefore best mounted on the humidor lid, placed on a tray or an area within your humidor where it can receive a flow of air around it.
The Humidifier
The humidifier is the component which maintains the humidity within your humidor. To prepare your humidifier please follow these steps:
1. remove your humidifier from the humidor
2. use either distilled water or our own humidification solution (50% distilled water and 50% propylene glycol and squirt into the humidifier through its grate.
3. the humidifier should be moist but not soaked.
4. Wipe any excess water or solution from the humidifier
5. place the humidifier back into the humidor
The humidity and temperature in homes and offices varies and therefore, depending on where you store your humidifier, the above process may require repeating.
Our humidification solution contains distilled water, propylene glycol and an anti-mould agent. Propylene glycol has properties which maintain humidity, releasing moisture into your humidor if the humidity is too low or absorbing moisture if the humidity is too high.
It may take a while experimenting with your humidifier to achieve the right humidification level. Generally, add distilled water if the humidity drops or add the humidification solution if the humidity is too high. The humidification solution should be used sparingly.
Your humidor should be kept away from direct sunlight or places where there is a fluctuation of temperature or humidity.
Cigar Care
Cigars mature like fine fines and they will continue to improve with age up to 10-20 years or more but they do require some degree of care. Cigars which feel soft and spongy have been over-humidified and those feeling hard and brittle means they are under humidified. Ideally, your cigars should feel firm but springy.
Excessive moisture may cause your cigars to bloom, which appears as white mould on the wrapper of your cigar. This can be removed from your cigar by gentle brushing and should not affect the flavour of your cigars.
Cigars also need to breathe and you should periodically open your humidor and allow air to circulate around your cigars. You should also try to regularly rotate your cigars so that those cigars at the bottom are rotated with those at the top.
It is advisable to keep certain cigars separate from one another to avoid the marrying of flavours. Some heavy bodied or strong cigars may marry their qualities with milder or weaker cigars.
A humidor is a home for your cigars. Avoid storing foreign objects such as lighters, cases or cutters in your humidor.
A humidor is a sound investment for your cigars if set up and maintained correctly. Considering the amount you have spent on your cigars it is wise to keep a watchful eye over your humidifier.
A downloadable copy of this information is available in PDF format by clicking here.